*For hanging baskets in cool, shady locations, use
tuberous begonias, ferns, impatiens or fibrous rooted
begonias in combination with trailing plants, such as
English ivy.

*Remove old flower heads from annual bedding plants
to keep them blooming.

*Disbud chrysanthemum flowers to secure large,
beautiful blooms on straight, strong stems. To disbud,
remove the small side buds along the stems which form
in the angles of the leaves. This will allow all of the food
reserves to be used for one large flower rather than
many smaller ones.

*Plant annual flowers in tubs or large containers for the
porch or terrace. Make sure there are holes in the
container's bottom to provide good drainage.

and begins to dry. Set out bedding plants to cover the
bare spots using care not to damage the bulbs.

*Watch for and control blackspot and powdery mildew
on rose foliage.

*Use bark mulch around young trees to protect them
from lawn mower damage.

*Spring flowering shrubs such as spirea, viburnum, lilac
and forsythia should be pruned as soon as they are
done blooming.

*Mid to late June is an excellent time to take softwood
cuttings of shrubs to start new plants. Some shrubs
which can be propagated in this way are spirea, lilac
and viburnum.

*When you buy nursery stock that is container grown,
check the root ball and make sure it is not bound too
tightly. A mass of circling roots will stay that way even
after it is planted in the ground.

*If you do not have much room to landscape, consider
using some of the many dwarf varieties available.
These are plants that have slow growth and stay small,
so there is little pruning maintenance. There are
numerous dwarf evergreens, flowering trees and
shrubs from which to choose.

*After your vegetable garden is well established, it is
best to water it thoroughly once a week rather than
giving it a light watering everyday. That way, a deeper
root system is encouraged to develop, which will later
help the plants tolerate dry weather.

*Keep a close eye on the quality of your spring crops.
Hot weather causes lettuce to bolt and become bitter.
Plant a warm season crop as soon as the spring
vegetables are harvested.

*In most cases, blossom-end rot on tomatoes, peppers,
squash and watermelons can be prevented. Do this by
maintaining uniform soil moisture by mulching and
watering correctly, planting in well drained soil and not
cultivating deeper than one inch within one foot of the
plant. Also avoid the use of high nitrogen fertilizers.
*Continue planting warm season vegetable crops such
as beans, squash and cucumbers.

* The best time to harvest most herbs is just before
flowering, when the leaves contain the maximum
essential oils.

*Before pouring gasoline into the fuel tank of your lawn
mower, garden tiller or other garden equipment, be
sure to turn off the engine and allow it to cool for at
least five minutes.

*Identify garden pests before you attempt to control
them. If you decide to use chemical control, read the
label carefully.

*Bats can be an effective way to control insects. One
big brown bat can eat 3,000 to 7,000 insects each
night. Attract bats by building and placing bat houses in
your yard.

*Leftover vegetable and flower seeds may be stored in
a cool dry location to be saved for planting next year.

*Start a gardening notebook. Pay special attention to
those plants which withstand drought conditions.

*During the hot summer months, mulch can be
especially useful for conserving water. For vegetable
gardens, shredded leaves or grass clippings are good
mulch material. For ornamentals, pine needles or wood
bark do the best job.

*Weed removal is important for a number of reasons. It
conserves moisture, conserves nutrients in the soil and
helps prevent the spread of disease and insects.
>Gardening Tips June 2011      Come enjoy summer at Nessralla's!